House of Lords Journal Volume 20: 17 March 1718

DIE Lunæ, 17 Martii.

Domini tam Spirituales quam Temporales præsentes fuerunt:

Georgius Princeps Walliæ.

PRAYERS.

Dover Harbour Bill.

Hodie 3^a vice lecta est Billa, intituled, "An Act for enlarging the Term of Years granted by the Acts of the Eleventh and Twelfth Years of King William the Third, and Second and Third Years of Queen Anne, for the Repair of Dover Harbour."

The Question was put, "Whether this Bill shall pass?"

It was Resolved in the Affirmative.

Message to H. C. that the Lords have agreed to it.

A Message was sent to the House of Commons, by Mr. Dormer and Mr. Browning:

To acquaint them, that the Lords have agreed to the said Bill, without any Amendment.

Bank Annuities, Bill.

The House (according to Order) was adjourned during Pleasure, and put into a Committee upon the Bill, intituled, "An Act for making the Dividend of Subscribed Lottery Annuities, and other Annuities established by several Acts of Parliament, payable Half Yearly at the Bank of England."

And, after some Time spent therein, the House was resumed.

And the Earl of Clarendon reported from the said Committee, "That they had gone through the Bill; and directed him to report the same to the House, without any Amendment."

Commissioners, Debts, Bill.

The House also (according to Order) was adjourned during Pleasure, and put into a Committee upon the Bill, intituled, "An Act to appoint Commissioners, to take, examine, state, and determine, the Debts due to the Army; and to examine and state the Demands of several Foreign Princes and States, for Subsidies during the late War."

And, after some Time spent therein, the House was resumed.

And the Earl of Clarendon reported from the said Committee, "That they had gone through the Bill; and directed him to report the same to the House, without any Amendment."

Bristol Workhouses, Bill:

Hodie 3^a vice lecta est Billa, intituled, "An Act for the better explaining several Acts therein mentioned, for erecting of Hospitals and Workhouses within the City of Bristol, for the employing and maintaining the Poor thereof; and for making the said Acts more effectual."

After Debate;

The Question was put, "Whether this Bill, with the Amendments, shall pass?"

It was Resolved in the Affirmative.

"Dissentient.

Protest against it:

"1. Because the comprehensive Latitude of this Bill is such, that all Persons without Discrimination, whether well or ill affected to our Constinution in Church or State, Papists as well as Protestants, Nonjurors as well as those who take the Oaths, Jews as well as Christians, are alike capable of being admitted into the Corporation to which this Bill refers, and of sharing all the Trusts and Powers lodged in the Members thereof.

"2. Because this Bill, whilst it complains of the Difficulty of finding a sufficient Number of proper and well-qualified Persons to be elected and constituted Guardians and Officers of the said Corporation, and, to avoid that pretended Difficulty, lets in Diffenters; doth at the same Time shut out Seventeen Churchwardens, who, by a former Act, were incorporated therein, and who, by the Constitution, have the Care of the Poor in a special Manner instrusted with them.

"3. Because this Bill repeals a Law, by which the Diffenters were excluded from Places and Offices in this Corporation; and this Repeal may hereafter be made Use of as a Precedent for abrogating other Laws as yet in Force, in order to the Admission of Dissenters into all Places and Offices whatsoever.

"4. Because this Bill, by exempting the Guardians and Officers therein mentioned from the Penalties and Forfeitures of the Corporation and Test Acts, doth, in our Opinion, very much weaken the Force of those Acts; which are declared by the Legislature to have been made for the Security of the Church of England as by Law established; and, as such, are, as we conceive, ratified and made perpetual, by that Clause in the Act of Union, which enacts, "That the Act for the Ministers of the Church of England to be of sound Religion, and the Act for Uniformity, and all and singular other Acts of Parliament then in Force, for the Establishment and Preservation of the Church of England, shall remain and be in full Force for ever."

"Geo. Bristol.
"Mansel.
"John. London.
"Compton.
"Boyle.
Montjoy.
"Oxford.
"Hay.
Bathurst.
Weston.
"Fa. Roffen.
"Jonat. Winton.
"Strafford."

Message to H. C. with Amendments to the Bill.

A Message was sent to the House of Commons, by Mr. Dormer and Mr. Browning:

To acquaint them, that the Lords have agreed to the last mentioned Bill, with some Amendments, whereunto their Lordships desire their Concurrence.

Malt Bill.

The House (according to Order) was adjourned during Pleasure, and put into a Committee upon the Bill, intituled, "An Act for continuing the Duties on Malt, Mum, Cyder, and Perry, for the Service of the Year One Thousand Seven Hundred and Eighteen; and for making forth Duplicates of Exchequer Bills, Lottery Tickets, and Orders, lost, burnt, or destroyed; and for appropriating the Supplies granted in this Session of Parliament."

And, after some Time spent therein, the House was resumed.

And the Earl of Clarendon reported from the said Committee, "That they had gone through the Bill; and directed him to report the same to the House, without any Amendment."

Running of Goods, to prevent, Bill.

Whereas this Day was appointed, for the House to be put into a Committee of the whole House, to consider further of the Bill, intituled, "An Act against the clandestine Running of uncustomed and prohibited Goods; and for the more effectual preventing of Frauds relating to the Customs and Excise:"

It is Ordered, That this House shall be put into a Committee, to consider further of the said Bill, on Wednesday next.

Adjourn.

Dominus Cancellarius declaravit præsens Parliamentum continuandum esse usque ad et in diem Martis, decimum octavum diem instantis Martii, hora undecima Aurora, Dominis sic decernentibus.